The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing garments and to the use of temporary adhesives in methods of manufacturing garments.
Outerwear garments such as jackets are usually multi-layer garments. For example, a garment can comprise an outer-fabric, interlining, canvas, felt and innerlining.
It is preferable to be able to hold the layers together during manufacture, to allow stitching and then to be able to separate the layers during and/or after manufacture to loosen linings and give the garment a bespoke appearance. Preferably, in a finished garment the outer-fabric should float freely from the interlining to give the same surface effect over the entire garment.
Attempts have been made to temporarily bind the layers of a garment during manufacture. In the past it was necessary to position interlinings against the outer-fabrics by baste stitching them prior to lashing them to various points within the garment.
With advances in adhesive technology attempts have been made to temporarily position interlings by means of an adhesive which is capable of being removed in water washing or drycleaning processes introducing solvents. Use of adhesives in the manufacture of garments has identified problems in that it is difficult to remove adhesive residues from within fine layers. Other problems include uneven delamination and differential shrinkage in solvents.
The present invention aims to provide an improved method for manufacturing a garment using temporary fusible adhesives.
According to the present invention there is provided a method for manufacturing a multi-layered garment comprising the steps of aligning layers where at least one layer is coated with a temporarily fusible adhesive, fusing layers, carrying out at least one conventional manufacturing step, applying heat or a combination of heat and pressure to dissipate adhesive, wherein the adhesive is a low molecular weight adhesive which exhibits a rapid decrease in viscosity upon heating.
Low molecular weight adhesives have molecule weights of less than 5000, more preferably less than 3000, and most preferably less than 1500.
Herein the term multi-layer garment means that there are at least two layers of fabric in one part of a garment when finished.
Preferably the step of applying heat comprises steam pressing the fused fabrics or finished garment.
Preferably at least one layer of the multi-layer garment comprises an interlining base fabric. Suitably the interlining base fabric is chosen from the group comprising a woven canvas, twill, weft insert, condenser fabric or a nonwoven obtainable form textile companies such as William Clark and Sons Ltd.
Preferably the temporary fusible adhesive is coated on the interlining base fabric.
Preferably the fusing step takes place at a temperature of between 40 and 90xc2x0 C. More preferably the temperature is between 55 and 70xc2x0 C. Suitably the fusing step can take between 3 and 30 seconds. This time is dependent on the weight of the fabrics and their moisture content, the adhesive and temperature.
Typically, fusing is carried out by hand iron or on an electrically controlled continuous fusing press using line pressures to the compression rollers of between 40 and 80 psi.
The conventional manufacturing steps may include, for example, formation of darts and/or seams to facilitate shaping of the garment.
In a preferred embodiment the adhesive exhibits rapid decreases in viscosity upon heating to temperatures of between 100xc2x0 C. and 150xc2x0 C.
The advantage of using a low molecular weight adhesive which exhibits a rapid decrease in viscosity upon heating is that the adhesive will flow away from the glue line, mainly and preferably into the base fabric of the interlining.
Preferably the method comprises the step of applying heat in the presence of a vacuum. This causes the interlining to detach itself from the outer fabric.
The invention also provides the use of a temporary fusible adhesive in garment manufacture when the adhesive is a low molecular weight adhesive which exhibits a rapid decrease in viscosity upon heating.
Preferably the adhesive is applied in a regular coating pattern.
In one embodiment between 0.2 mm to 0.55 mm diameter dots of adhesive are applied in a regular pattern with about 6 to 12 dots per 2.5 cm. Suitably the dots are applied via a screen.
Preferably the diameter of the dots are 0.35 mm and ten dots are applied per 2.5 cm.
In an alternative embodiment the adhesive is applied as 45xc2x0 slanting slits. Suitably the width of each slit is 0.35 mm and the length of each slit is 3.5 mm. The number of slits per 2.5 cm is 5. The slits may be angled between 0xc2x0 and 90xc2x0. Slit width may be between 0.2 and 0.5 mm and slit length may be between 2 and 5 mm. The slits can alternate in diration.
In yet another embodiment the adhesive is applied in slits which are arranged longitudinally in line with the direction of the run of threads in a fabric.
Suitable resins for use in the method according to the present invention include resin-based adhesives having low molecular weight and a minimum of molecular entanglement.
Such resins include resins made from natural products i.e. rosin derivatives, polymerised rosin, ester gums, terpenes, rosin acids, shellacs. Also, synthetic resins for example ketone and hydrocarbon resins, coumarone inderie and low molecular weight polystyrene resin may be used. Synthetic resin blends such as low molecular ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer and wax blends may also be used.
Preferably the adhesive is applied as an emulsion. Preferably the emulsion comprises resin in water.
Suitably the emulsion can comprise additives chosen from the group comprising viscosity modifiers, plasticisers, optical bleaching agents and humectants.
Preferably the emulsions are print coated through a rotary screen onto base fabrics and dried to form heat sealable resins with melt temperatures between 55-90xc2x0 C.
Accordingly, the invention provides base fabrics coated with heat sealable resins with melt temperatures between 55-90xc2x0 C.
Alternatively, the low molecular weighs resins may be applied to interlining base fabrics by printing as a hot melt.
Preferably the application equipment and printing screen are heated to prevent the hot melt from solidifying before it is printed on to the base fabric.
An advantage of this method is that no further heat is required once the dot has been printed onto the base cloth. The main disadvantage is that large volumes of the low melting range resin has to be heated and kept in a molten state and oxidation and degradation can occur.